Wardrobe case cover stay device



Allg. 3l, 1943. `J MT1-ERy JR 2,328,099 I WARDROBE CASE COVER STAY DEVICE ,Fi-16d Sept. 26, 1942 L? BY fn-film A T TORNEY.

` `securing the -*UNITED STATES JPATENTCFFICE,

` wanpaons CASE Govan lsrny nEvrCE "1 n 1Julius mman., Racine, wis,1a.ssignor to nartmann Trunk Company,

` ration of Wisconsin Racine, Wis., a corpo.-

` "Application 'September 26, 1942, Serial No. 459,853` Y p zoiaims. loi. 19o-41)? This "invention relates to improvements in `wardrobe case coverstay devices.

` In certain types` of` `wardrobe hand luggage cases, the caseicover ishingedly `connected to the body section ofthe case in amanne'r so that the `cover assumes a vertical orupright position whenthe case isfopen` for packing and unpacking. It was the practice to extend foldable., metallic stays'between wallportions of the cover and body to releasably maintain the cover in open, upright position. In that 'class of cases wherein, during packing operations, long garments arev suspended hangers mounted `in the freeend of the from cover with the garmentsbeingrdraped over the body section of thecase, itl is especially necessary that the cover be positively retained in its open position to `prevent the draped garments from voverl'lalancing the cover and causing it to accidentally' gravitate to its closed position. IjIeretofore,` the foldable metallic stays` previously mentioned have satisfactorily served the purpose.

With the `present shortage and unavailability `of metals for civilian commodities, metallic cover stays for wardrobe case covers are prohibited and itis;` therefore, a primaryobject of the present invention to provide a very simple and economical wardrobe case cover retaining means which eliminates the need rfor metal and which may be formed of wood or other suitable available material. A further object of the invention is to provide awardrobe case cover retaining means which, `in part, utilizes the wardrobe case garment frame `in its downswung packingposition, `for releasably A further 'object of theginventi'on` is to `provide` a Wardrobe case cover retaining means wherein the wardrobe case garment frame functions, in its several operative positionsto automatically retain and release the cover relative to the openposition of the latter.

A-fur-ther object of theinvention is to provide a Wardrobe case cover retaining means wherein the wardrobe case garment `frame, when swung to its horizontal position for packing, automatically andreleasably engages shouldered members.

i "A iurtnercbiect.offtheinvennon is n, provide case cover in its upright, open posi,` tion.`

a wardrobe case cover retaining means with which a Wardrobe case may be readily equipped without any,modication of the case or xture, "andat aminimum ofl expense.

"A further object of the invention is to provide awardrobe case coverjstay :device which isjof very simple construction, is automatic inits operation, is neat and attractivevin appearance, `is strong and durable,` `and iswwell adapted for the purposes set forth.

With theabove and other objects, in view the inventionconsists' of the improved wardrobe case cover staydevic'te;y and its parts andcombinations asset forth 'in the claims, and a11j equivalents thereof. f

`In the accompanyingdrawing in which` the 'same reference charactersf indicate the `saine parts `in al1 of the views:` l g j. Fig." 1 is a vertical!` sectional view through" 'an open wardrobe case with the garment frame` in its vdovvnswimg position and cooperating with body sectiondcarried` means to releasably hold the cover in its open, upright position, said view `being indicated by line I-I oi? Fig. 2; 1,

i Fig.` 2 is a horizontal fs'ectional view takenon .lineZ-Z of Fig.`1;' l n A Fig.. 3 isanfenlarged, fragmentary, detailsectional view Ashowing the engagement of afree `end portionof the downswung garmentframe `with a 4shouldered memberfcarried by the wardrobecase body section; and

Fig. 4 is` an. enlarged..fragmentary," detail `sectional view taken horizontallythrough a portion of the open cover and showing the garment frame in its up-swung packed position and the relation of `other elements thereto; i l

.Referring now more particularly to thefdrawing, it lwill appear that the wardrobe hand luggage Icase,.shown by `wayv ofl illustration, 'and in which. the present improvements may be installed,

4includes `abody section 8 and a hingedly connected cover section 9; As Ishown `inthedrawing, when the cover. is open it is intended to assume a substantially upright or vertical position"relative to the body section of thecase. As an aspect of the `present invention, exible fabric stays I I! are extended between wall portions of the body and `c'oversections'of the casefortne purpose a side wall of the body section carries a handle I2.

The type of wardrobe case under consideration is equipped with garment carrying and folding fixture members. Within the free end portion of the cover section 9 there is a bracket I3 for releasably hanging and depending a plurality of garment hangers I4. Cooperating with the garment hangers .I4 is a U-rame generally indicated by the numeral I5 and including spaced side arms I6 connected at their outer ends by a transverse garment folding bar I'I. The inner ends of the side arms of the U-frame I5 are pivotally mounted on brackets I8 secured to inner side wall portions of the cover section 5l adjacent the hinged connection of the cover section 'with 'the body section.`

The wardrobe hand luggage case through the use of the xtures described, is adapted to be loaded with garments in the manner'shown in Fig. 1. For this, purpose the cover is vopened to ar perpendicular position. Preliminarily one or more of the hangers` I4 are, removed from the bracket I3 free of the case..v Ifg'along garment such as a coat or dress is to be, packed, it is hung 4on a hanger I4 in the usual manner. The swingableU-irameglSy is `moved from a position entirely within ythe cover section 9` toa substantially horizontal `position overlying the body section of the case, being supported in this position by certain improvements presently to be `described. The iixture apparatus also customarily includes a transverse inner strap yI9 which is removed by `detaclfiing its apertured end portions from the hooked extremities of lugs rigidly carried `by the inner. end vportions `of the side arms I6 of the swingable U-frame I5. A hanger I4, with a garment thereon, is then manually moved toward the upper orl free end of the cover section 9,v and the hanger is engaged with the bracket I3. Lower and intermediate portions of the garment are draped over the` open face of the body section 8 of the case and over the downswung U-frame` I5' in the mannerdepictedin broken lines'in Fig. 1. The detachable transverse strap I9 is thenengaged with the lugs 20 so as to extend across the inner end of the cover section'overlying the supported garment or garments. It V'may here be stated that after the mounting ofthe hangersy I4, bothbefore and after securing the strap I9 in position, there will be Weight and drag vimposed on the upper free end of the cover section lEl'vvhich, if 'no means are provided to overcomethe same, might cause the cover to accidentally fall or gravitate to its closed position. This of course is undesirable, and heretofore it has been customary to extend Vrigid but foldable metallic stays between the cover and body sections.y In the present invention the use of such metallic stays is eliminated,'and'it will be observed that the ilexible fabric stays III do not prevent undesired overbalancing or downward swinging of thel open cover section. -The present invention has for an object the provision of simple means cooperating with the downswung U-,irame I5 for rigidly but releasably holding the tcover'in its upright open position. For this purpose it will be observed that opposite inner upper sidewall portions of the bodysection 8, toward `the front wall, have rigidly lmounted `thereon shouldered members 2I.v These members are positionedv so that the vertical shoulders 22 formed thereon register with the outerextremities of thefside arms I6 of the U-frame. VWhen the U- frame I5 isswung 'to itslowered position, the

rounded or reduced extremities 23 thereof will snap past the vertical portions 22 of the shouldered members 2I permitting the ends of the arms I6 to rest on the horizontalportions of the shouldered members, as shown. Any tendency of the cover 9 to move toward its closed position will react on the side arms I5 of the U-frame I5 and due to the engagement of the outer end portions of the side arms I6 with` the shouldered members 2I, such tendency will be resisted and the cover section 9 willv be rigidly maintained in its upright position against accidental dropping and closing. y

In xture equipped wardrobe casesof the type under consideration, the packing and folding of suspendedv garments is accomplished by swinging the U-'frame I5 from its substantially horizontal position to an upright position entirely within the cover section 9, whereupon the extended garments drape over the transverse folding bar I'I of the U-frame I5. When this manipulation is given to the U-frameA I5, it of course disengages the ends of the vaim I6 from the shouldered inembers 2I,I whereupon the cover may be freely swung to itsl lowered closing position. As is usual, the open side of the cover section 9. is adapted to be closed by a iiexible fabric curtain 24. During packing and unpacking Voperations the curtain is swung over the free end of the open cover section in the manner shown in Fig. 1. When the case is ypacked and in condition for .transportation, the'curtain 24 should be draped over the open side of the cover section and secured thereover to protect the, garments packedv therein. For ythis purpose thefree or depended -end of the curtain has secured therein a transverse strap 425 whose extremities project beyond the side materials. This is likewise true of the U-frame The simplicity of the device and thefautomati'c operation of the same is readily apparent.' When vthe U-irame I 5 is in its down-swung position for packing and unpacking operations, it automatically engages and is supported by the shouldered members 2| to provide eiifective and rigid stay meansfor maintaining the cover in its upright position. Whenthe frame'is swung into the cover section, after packing or unpacking has taken f place, there is no longer any necessity for positively maintaining the cover section in its upright position against undesired overbalancing, and the stay mechanism is automatically released through the normal swinging movement of the U-frame into the cover section.

The improved cover stay device may bev in- `stalledin a piece of wardrobe hand luggage with little or no modification to the case and at a minimiun of expense., The device is furthermore of simple and novel construction and is well adapted for the purposes set forth. s .4

What is claimed as the invention is:

ljIn a hand luggage case including a body y sectionand a cover section hingedly connected t0 the body section, limiting means preventing the cover from moving rearwardly from its open position, b-ut ineffectual upon closing movement of the cover, a garmentl frame havingoneend portion pivotally mounted within the inner end portion of said cover section and swingable from within the cover section to a position flatly overlying a portion of the body section, and notched` stops carned by the body section and adapted to releasably receive the frs-ee end of the frame to hold the frame against forward and downward` movement whereby the frame acts as a prop for holding the cover section under the action of its limitingmeans when the cover is'open.

2. In a hand `luggage case including a` body section and a cover section hingedly connected to the body section and swingable to an open positicn substantially `perpendicular to the body section, exible lstays extended between wall portions of the cover and body sections preventing thecover from moving rearwardly from itsopen `position,"but ineffectual upon closing movementy of the cover, hangers removably'mounted inthe rfree end of the coversection, a. garment U- 20 ried fby the body section and adapted Vto engage the front face of the free end of lche frame to frame formed with side arms, means pivotally mounting the inner end portions of said side arms -within the inner end portion of said cover section, said frame being `swingable from within the cover section to a position flatly overlying a portion of the body section, means in one plane carhold the frame against forward movement,and means in another plane carried by'the body section adapted toengage the bottom face of the free end of the fram-e to hold the frame against downward movement, the frame when engaged with said means serving as a prop for holding the l cover section under the action of the stays when the` cover is open,`said frame when swung into the cover section releasing the cover and cooper ating with said hangers in the draping and folding of garments.

JULIUS RITTER, JR. 

